Being famous is easier now than ever before, but at what cost? That’s the question the Netflix documentary The American Meme wants to answer. And in the process Paris Hilton, one of the most recognizable faces of modern day fame, isn’t afraid to get vulnerable.

Directed by Bert Marcus, The American Meme jumps between four incredibly popular social media influencers, asking them to examine their lives and this era of virality. Some merely seem thrilled to have another camera pointed at them, like Instagram personality Josh Ostrovsky (also known as The Fat Jew) and former Vine star Brittany Furlan. But the documentary’s most compelling moments focus on the mother of reality TV and the poster child for carrying tiny dogs, Paris Hilton. It’s the mega-star unlike she’s ever been seen before.

In a series of quiet, reflective interviews, Hilton explains why she trusts her fans more than her friends and dissects the risqué David LaChappelle photoshoot that transformed her into a household name. As Hilton tells the camera about lying to the crew about her sister being of legal age, the documentary cuts between the interview, and segments with Hilton’s tight-lipped mother. This is the side of her family we rarely see — the shock and early angry that came from Hilton’s sex-laced club-going brand of celebrity.

Photo: Netflix

After solemnly warning the current swarm of social media stars that everything they do will be preserved online forever, Hilton delves into her biggest controversy to date — her sex tape. While the star was at the height of her Simple Life fame a sex tape between Hilton and her ex-boyfriend Rick Salomon was leaked to the press. Quickly, the tape became the butt of late night jokes everywhere.

“Literally overnight my entire life changed … everyone was making fun of it,” Hilton says while wiping away tears. “I didn’t leave my house for, like months. I was so embarrassed. I felt like everyone on the street was laughing at me.”

She then adds, “It was like being raped. It felt like I’ve lost part of my soul and been talked about in such cruel and mean ways.”

It’s a surprisingly emotional moment, especially during an era that’s spent so much time reevaluating how we talk about women’s experiences. In the early 2000s violating the privacy of a very rich and very public person was an acceptable joke. The American Meme even shows Tina Fey mocking the sex tape on Saturday Night Live. But hearing Hilton discuss how much this hurt, that moment in pop culture transforms into something dark and unsettling. Hilton may have practically invented the share-all culture of social media, but she never deserved what happened to her.

Whereas Ostrovsky, Furlan, and Kirill Bichutsky end their segments on hungry pledges to become even bigger stars, Hilton’s final few moments in the documentary are far more subdued. While reflecting on the happiness of her non-famous friends, Hilton regretfully says, “I’m a 21-year-old the past two decades. It’s all part of an image and a brand and being a product.” She doesn’t pledge to leave her highly glamorous and public lifestyle, but she doesn’t seem happy in it either.

The American Meme doesn’t have an answer about whether the intensely personal expectation of being a social media star is a good or a bad thing. It can’t even address if it’s a sustainable model. But the documentary does make one thing clear. This brand of viral celebrity takes some dramatic tolls on its creators while the internet beast screams for more new content.